South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 4 (of 8): From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of KarreeCreswicke, Louis
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 4 (of 8): From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree
Creswicke, Louis
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
"On the 5th December the enemy arrived with from 1100 to 1200 men under
Visser, of the Transvaal, now Commandant, and Field-Cornet Wessels, of
the Free State, but without any cannon. They commenced by attacking
Captain Dennison's (Intelligence Officer to Commanding Officer,
Kimberley, Colonel Kekewich) redoubt on the east, but were repulsed. The
enemy made five night attacks on this redoubt and a smaller one held by
Private Brown, Special Police, about 300 yards on the S.E. Their mode of
attack was as follows:--They built schanzes within 500 yards of these
redoubts, surrounding them, and threw up small schanzes of stone and
bags within thirty or forty yards of the redoubts early in the night and
attacked about two or three o'clock in the morning, retiring from time
to time to these small schanzes. They thus succeeded in pushing off the
sandbags from our redoubts on the S.E. side, but were driven back,
losing about four killed and ten or twelve wounded. This redoubt was
held by Private Brown, three white men, and two natives, the enemy
numbering from sixty to seventy men. Our casualties were one white man
wounded. During these attacks a bullet (presumably an explosive one)
struck inside the east fort or redoubt, badly wounding two whites and
two others slightly. Firing was kept up night and day for these five
days. The enemy ceased their attacks and went in for volley firing and
sniping, coming nearer our redoubts by building schanzes during the
night. These two redoubts had to be abandoned, as the loopholes of
sandbags were shot away, and there was no means of building them up
agin. The enemy occupied them after being abandoned for two nights, and
also took possession of a store in a hollow about 800 yards from the
main camp, between it and the Court House. This left only one of our
redoubts occupied by our defence force, and which commanded the water.
Corporal Gash, C.P., was in charge. Our horses had to be watered at
night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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